Lois Hunter has a very long history with LACHSA, in fact she has been at LACHSA for 33 years. She became Chair of both the Theatre and Dance Departments in 2001, and when the departments split in 2007, she chose to continue as the Chair of the Theatre Department and has been there ever since. Countless alumni and current students have turned to her for guidance and have been inspired by her. We were thrilled she took the time to let us ask her some questions about her journey.

How did you get started in the arts?

I never wanted to be a teacher. My mom was a teacher for elementary children and I saw how exhausting it was for her at the end of the day—even with 7 and 8 year olds! My mom always encouraged all of her children to pursue some form of art: drawing, painting, singing, piano. My aunt was a student at Berkeley High School, taking a ballet class. When she came to babysit us, she would repeat her lessons on me. I remember holding onto the back of the chair in our kitchen, doing plies and ronde de jambes! I was hooked. That same aunt took me to see West Side Story. I was in the 9th grade. After that, I begged my mom to let me take dance class at our local dance studio where I could learn ballet, tap, jazz, and acrobats all in a 1 hour class! I loved going to dance class. But to my dismay, the owner told my mom that she was losing money because of me. I was the only black kid in the class. She told my mom I had to leave. I went to San Francisco State after graduation and majored in Drama and English. But, of course, I had to continue dancing. The most influential teacher who encouraged me to pursue a career in dance was Rodney Strong ( yes, the winemaker!!).

After graduating, I “hit the boards.” I went to New York to study with Luigi. I did lots of performing in the Bay Area with jazz teacher extraordinaire, Anne Marie Garvin, TV shows, acting roles on The Streets of San Francisco, a feature film with director John Korty, The Pointer Sisters concerts, the voice of Red Zinger tea commercials, and lots and lots of musical theatre. Ironically, when I was touring with Lena Horne in the production of Pal Joey, that same owner who kicked me out of her dance studio came to see me back stage. She apologized. Karma, I guess.

How did you land where you are today, at LACHSA?

I always tell people show business is a sugar to shit business. When you’re working its great. But then there are those times when the sugar disappears and you are looking for another gig. My mom ran into one of my teachers from my high school and he told her that as a Drama/English major at SF State, I automatically got a teacher’s credential. She told me to go see him. I definitely did not want to teach, but I wanted to see Mr. Dansky. He was the best! So, there I was standing in the principal’s office at John F. Kennedy High School. In walks Dansky, chair of the English Department. After a quick hello, he said he needed me to cover a class! What!???? I was an actor-singer-dancer, not an English teacher! But, because it was Dansky, I did it anyway. Well…those teenagers just about killed me! I was so nervous when I put the next day’s assignment on the board, I spelled tomorow (sic) wrong. And boy, did those kids let me have it. I vowed when the semester was over, I was out. But Dansky convinced me to stay, promising I would get at lease one dance and one drama class in the fall. He made good on that promise. But my heart was still in performing. I remember telling the principal that I would be out sick one day. I wasn’t sick. I went to San Francisco to audition for the national search for actors for a new musical, A Chorus Line. I made it to the last cut and the next day, my picture was plastered all over the front cover of the Oakland Tribune and the Berkeley Gazette: “TEACHER IMPRESSES AT CHORUS LINE AUDITION!” Needless to say, my principal was not impressed. I stayed at Kennedy High School for seven years, continuing to pick up dance and acting jobs through the wonderful Anne Brebner agency. My big break came when a friend, Claude Thompson, told me to come audition in LA for a new musical starring Lena Horne. I did. I got a great part, with most of my scenes opposite Clifton Davis.

My husband and I moved to Los Angeles in 1977 and have been here ever since. I did music videos, including Rodney Dangerfield’s NO RESPECT. I was off to another audition for The Tap Dance Kid, when I discovered I was pregnant! Well, that ended my “hitting the boards” career. Tamara Michel Hunter was born on September 5, 1979.

Since I had my teaching credential, it became obvious where my path was leading. I applied for a teaching position in the Los Angeles Unified School District and they sent me to teach EL students at Brett Harte Middle School. I lasted 6 months! But during that time, the principal was so amazed with the quality of my after school productions with middle school kids, she invited the principal of Manual Arts High School to one of my shows. He contacted me at the end of the semester and offered me the job of dance/theatre teacher. Because I had so many professional credits, I was able to get a Dance Teacher Credential supplement added to my teaching credential. So now I could teach both Drama and Dance. I taught at Manual Arts for 5 years. During that time I produced all of their dance, musicals, and drama productions. Our production of The Wiz, drew packed audiences. In one of those audiences was Dr. George McKenna. He was the principal at Washington Preparatory High School in South-Central Los Angeles. He invited me to come teach and lead a full program of arts for his school. I accepted. I taught at “The Prep” for seven years. In that time my students performed on the TV show, Star Search, winning the first round. I directed dozens of plays and presented the annual talent show. All my backdrops were graffiti painted by gang members from the Bloods and the Crips. I think it was the only time and place they ever actually worked together, painting scenery for our annual Solid Gold Talent Show. My students came from the most at-risked, underprivileged and underrepresented groups in Los Angeles. But they did not lack creativity and talent. I was the chairperson for the Visual and Performing Arts Department and we worked hours developing their skills in those areas. My assistant principal encouraged me to apply for the Music Center’s Bravo Award, a prestigious honor to recognize teachers in Los Angeles County for excellence in art education. I won! I saw the tape of the event.

Film director, Garry Marshall, awarded me the statue and said: “thank you, Mrs. Hunter for not only building your students’ skills in dance and acting, but most of all strengthening their self-esteem and belief in themselves.”

Dr. Stuart Gothold, Superintendent of the Los Angeles County Office of Education, was at that Bravo event. He encouraged me to apply to the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, when and if I ever decided to leave Washington Prep High School. I had heard about this arts school that was like the “Fame” School in New York, where the kids were taught for hours in their specific art areas. I was drawn to the notion that I could work with students whose only desire was to improve their craft as artists. After a year, I applied and was offered a job in the English Department. It wasn’t dance or theatre, but I would be working with kids who loved the arts and as their English teacher, I could incorporate all the arts into the lessons.

My mother gave me some very good advice when I started at LACHSA. She said, “You are in the business of raising other people’s children. Treat them as you would your own.”

Some of my students included Gretchen Parlato, Jon B, and Anne Jacoby. After a year, Gary Sorensen, who was the director of the musicals at LACHSA, asked me to choreograph his shows. I choreographed Little Shop of Horrors, West Side Story; Fame, The Musical and Finnian’s Rainbow, both starring Josh Groban. It came to pass that LACHSA needed to hire a Senior Program Specialist for the Theatre and Dance Departments. The principal encouraged me to apply. I got the job because, you guessed it, I had a credential in both of those subjects. I was the chair for both departments for nearly seven years. When asked what department I would rather direct, since they were going to split the departments again, I choose Theatre, since musical theatre and the newly established film program would also be under my auspices.

Ms. Hunter with LACHSA alum, Grammy and Academy Award winning Kris Bowers ’06.

Tell us about your effort to diversify what is taught in the Theatre program?

When I was finally able to focus on one department, I could see that what I had been doing was being a caretaker for the original established theatre curriculum. While nationally known, it was western-centric, with much of the literature reflecting white culture and written by white playwrights. I remember asking one of my Latina students what she thought about the play Zoot Suit. She had never heard of it. Neither did she know the playwright, Luis Valdez!! That’s when I knew I needed to change the focus of the department to include more culturally diverse, BIPOC, and women playwrights. I added in the 3rd year of study a class in Multicultural, Ethnic, Non-Western, BIPOC, Women Playwrights. World renowned director, Corky Dominguez, taught the class. He directed some of our most successful plays, including, Mundo Payosa, Detained in the Desert (by Josefina Lopez), For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide, and Twilight LA.

Tell us about the Theatre Design and Production program and why it is so important to the school?

I often tell my students and parents that in the entertainment career, the two places where you are sure to make a living are musical theatre ( if you are a triple threat), and Technical Theatre (lights, sound, scenic, costume and makeup). So, when one of our former principals decided to implement a CTE (Career Technology Education) program, I was excited. The program’s curriculum is called Design and Production. This program is a great opportunity for some students who loved the technical aspects of theatre to grow—and to shine! As an arts school we needed to provide this opportunity. LACHSA hired expert teachers in the field of stage technologies. As a matter of fact, one of our LACHSA students who went on to get his degree in stage tech, returned to LACHSA and is now one of our Technical !

What has been your proudest moment at LACHSA?

Well, I have so many proud moments: My students taking top honors at the Ohlone College, Fullerton College and DTASC Theatre Festivals; watching so many of my students succeed in the entertainment field. But one that stands out is being congratulated by The United States Department of Education, Presidential Scholars Program as the most influential teacher for two of the 2013 U.S. Presidential Scholars: Cameron Covell and Analisa Gutierrez.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given? What advice do you give to your students?

Again, there has been so many, especially from my mom when I first started teaching. And, of course, I have passed them on to my students. Probably the best advice my mom gave me: YOUR REPUTATION PROCEEDS YOU and ALL KIDS ARE GIFTED, SOME JUST OPEN THEIR PRESENTS LATER IN LIFE. I tell my students to not throw God’s gift back into His face. And one that I have recently taken to heart in these turbulent times that my hubby gave me and I have passed it on to my students: STAY PASSIONATE WITHOUT BECOMING EMOTIONAL. That one is especially hard for my young folks to do.

What will you miss most about LACHSA?

The kids!! I recently turned 80 years old and a close friend of mine said I don’t look it. Hah! Not sure what 80 is supposed to look like. But I will tell anybody that kids keep you young! They keep you hopping. There is not a day that goes by when they do something crazy or foolish that actually makes me laugh. I meet with the Theatre and Design and Production senior student reps once a week and the energy they bring into the room warms my heart. They are so nervous and excited about moving on to their next post-secondary adventure, but still somehow wanting to hold onto their childhood. I think just sopping up that youthful energy keeps me going. I have two grandkids, 6 and 3. It’s amazing how I get to relive the awe and excitement of experiencing new things just watching them do it. It’s the same with my LACHSA babies.

How did you come to the decision to retire?

I have had a good run. I started teaching in the spring of 1969. I taught for about 7 years and then left it for performance. I was lucky enough to have performed so much that I knew I would not miss it. I had had enough of performance and knew I really wanted to give my all to teaching young people. As my mom said: what could be more rewarding? So after 40 years I leave LACHSA in good hands with my students who are now my colleagues: Erica Robson, Chanel Castaneda, Devon Armstrong, Chayllce Brogdon, Dylan Wittrock, Kara Royster, Victoria Tamez, Jahanna Blunt, AJ. My legacy lives on in these amazing young teachers.

What are you looking forward to in retirement?

Mentoring two more young people: Miles and Nora, my two grandchildren. My husband has wanted to do more traveling and now we can. I also plan to get back to doing voiceover work. And, of course, write a screenplay about LACHSA. All the wonderful and zany “characters” I have encountered in my last 40 years at LACHSA will make a hilarious sitcom.

What do you think makes LACHSA such a special place?

LACHSA is a haven for creative, imaginative, talented young people. In the many times I have had kids in my office, reprimanding them for bad behavior and asking: do you really want to go back to your homeschool? The horror on their faces tells it all. LACHSA is a place where they are accepted because they “march to their own drummer.” I wish every school could be like LACHSA, accepting kids where they are, supporting their dreams and moving them on to their next life’s adventure.

What has your experience at LACHSA meant to you?

LACHSA has been a life lesson and a learning experience. I have not been perfect over the years. I made mistakes; alienated some kids and their parents; hired teachers who really did not like kids. As always in life there are rough patches. But I have learned to give myself some grace and to know what bridges I really want to die on. My priority will always be what is best for all children.

Given the current lack of funding for public education, why do you think LACHSA is worth every investment?

I sometimes think people view investing in arts education for kids only helps to make them a better actor, singer, dancer, musician, or visual artist. Yes, it does do that too. But more importantly it develops skills that are necessary for the workplace: creativity, imagination, teamwork, adaptability, problem-solving, decision making. As a board member of the California Arts Project we pressed for the State of California to add Visual and Performing Arts in its Educational Code as a required subject area, mandated for all K-12 public schools.

In my many years of teaching in regular comprehensive high schools and now at LACHSA, I have seen the difference in the quality of a student when they have been exposed to an arts education. The emotional intelligence a person gets from studying the arts makes them more empathetic to the human condition. This is why it is so important to invest in arts high schools, especially the number one public arts school in the nation. LACHSA in its 40 years has proven to be a reliable institution for producing some of the most influential leaders in the arts.